Tree care is generally a hands-on activity that involves showering the roots and limbs with gentle attention. This is in the form of spreading mulch, pruning branches, or even just watering the roots. Sometimes harsh weather can come in suddenly and leave your trees in such a serious state leaving you with very little you can do to help. In the winter a common issue that landowners face is ice on their trees. If your trees become bent by too much ice in their branches, often the only solution is to leave them alone.
I know that sounds misleading, especially coming from the arborist here at Five Star Tree Services, but let us explain a bit further. When you first notice that your tree has been bent over by ice formations on its branches, there is no active action to take. What you will need to do is make plans for how to help your tree after the ice melts away. Here are our top suggestions to help care for your ice-laden tree once the water has melted away.
How to Take Care of a Ice Covered Tree
You can take care of an ice covered tree by letting the ice melt on its own as it will prevent damage to the bark and also keep the branches from getting snapped on accident. Ice that coats the branches tends to be very thick and during the winter months, tree branches are much more brittle than usual. If you try to remove the ice from the tree or its branches by force, chances are you will do more harm than good.
Helping Your Frozen Branches
One good thing to note is that frozen water will always melt. This means that over time the tree that was bent under the weight of the ice will eventually regain its proper shape. Once the ice has melted, check the tree for damage. If there are broken branches or hanging limbs, give our team at Five Star Tree Services a call to schedule our tree pruning service for your tree.
Proper pruning will keep your property and family safe while also helping the tree along in its recovery. A properly pruned tree will be stronger and have a more solid structure to fight back against the elements during the next storm.
Depending on the severity of the breaks, you can even prune your trees on your own. Larger branches or those located near the top of the tree should always be handled by the professionals here at Five Star Tree Services. A skilled arborist will be able to prune both large and small branches without harming the tree or surrounding foliage.
Caring for a Tree With Large Broken Branches
Trees that lose larger branches due to ice will not be as stable as they were before the storm. One way to support your tree is to use cables and braces to restore stability. Steel cables help by anchoring the tree in place so they can heal and will also give them support during further storms.
How We Can Help
If you need help with cabling, bracing, or pruning, give our office a call at (416) 990-3355 to schedule an appointment. Our team at Five Star Tree Services is skilled and specialized in all sorts of tree care services. If you feel that your tree has been severely damaged by ice and now requires Richmond Hill emergency tree services, our team is standing by to take your call.